Long Lost Loves and Adventures
by Miss Ruby Jones
Summary: After the ordeal with Belle, Hook sees the one person he had been most apprehensive to see since arriving in Storybrooke. How will the she-wolf he left behind react to his actions now? Ruby can't decide her feelings on the pirate. Will he be able to sway her opinion of him back to what it once was? A Red Hook story. Reviews are much appreciated.


Ruby sat in the cold waiting room with Leroy and Charming. Everyone was waiting to see what had become of Belle, but Ruby had ulterior motives. Hook was in this hospital. She couldn't tell if she was excited to see him or not. She finally remembered him. She couldn't believe that she ever forgot, but the curse was stronger than even the love that she had for the pirate captain. And, apparently, his need for revenge was stronger than his love for her. She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. Maybe she wouldn't see him, and she could move on with her life.

As soon as that thought crossed her mind, there he was.

"What's this? I found it on a tray." Captain Hook was limping out of his hospital room with a plate of some blue substance. His comment pulled Mary Margret and Emma out of their conversation about the Enchanted Forest.

"Really?" Emma asked incredulously. She should have known better. The pirate was crafty indeed and wouldn't be kept down for long, no matter how hard she tried. Ruby shook her head at how much Emma relied on her police ways. Handcuffs wouldn't keep Captain Hook down.

"Pirate," he began, holding up the handcuffs that dangled off his one wrist. The same handcuffs that had once kept him attached to his hospital bed. "What the bloody hell is this?"

"Jell-O."

"It's food, you eat it," Mary Margret said with distaste for the pirate evident in her voice.

"I thought it was a hallucination," Captain Hook drawled. He looked up from the plate to see the leggy brunette standing just past Emma and Mary Margret. "Oh, hello. You're quite real, aren't you?" he asked. Everyone else saw a look of disgust on Ruby's face, but Captain Hook knew the real meaning behind the flash of fire in her eyes. It wasn't anger or disgust, but a challenge.

Hook saw the smile on her face when she turned away. She may have feigned disgust, but he could see the soft spot she still held for him. He would make her see it again. He would make her remember how much she loved being a pirate with him. He knew he'd see her as soon as he was out of that damn hospital bed. Damn, he wished moving didn't hurt so much. She shook her head at him, but he knew what it really meant. She remembered him. And as soon as he could, she was going to be in his quarters.

"Go eat your Jell-O," Emma commanded him, leading him back towards his hospital room.

Once he was back in bed, he could only think of how to steal Ruby away, as he had planned to do so many times before.

A week passed, and Killian was finally out of the hospital and back to his old self. His pirate get-up was back in place of the stupid hospital gown he had been forced to wear for so long. He entered Granny's Diner, immediately setting eyes on his she-wolf. "Hello there, love. Did you miss me?"

Ruby sucked her teeth as she looked at him with a challenge in her eyes. "Sure, Hook. That's what you call it." Killian raised an eyebrow at the woman. She recognized him, at least. "You shot one of my friends."

Ruby moved about the diner, trying to avoid him after that. She hated the idea of him being here, and yet she wouldn't want him anywhere else. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she had missed him.

She tried to ignore him. She even flirted with Doctor Whale again. Anything it took to distract her from the pirate captain that was sitting in the diner. Her eyes would wander to him every once in a while, but she tried not to think about it. Whale told her stories, and flirted with her. None of it got through to Ruby, though. She was far too confused about Killian to pay close attention to the doctor.

"So, uh, Ruby, what would you say to dinner?"

Killian's ears perked up as soon as he heard it. He may not understand the customs of this new world, but nobody would take his Ruby away. The pirate stood and walked over to the table where Whale sat. Ruby was leaning over the table slightly, considering the doctor's words.

The captain grabbed Ruby's arm at the elbow and gently tugged. "Can I talk to you for a moment, love?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Whale looked insulted while Ruby looked confused. "Not right now, Hook. I'm working," she retorted. Killian wouldn't take that and pulled her towards the door. "Hook!" She didn't struggle, though. She simply followed him until they were outside, the door to the diner slamming closed behind them. "What?" she spat.

"What the hell, Red!" Killian yelled with a dark look in his eyes. Ruby put her hands on her hips, glaring down the man she loved. She would not be bossed around by the man who abandoned her. "Him? What the hell happened to us?"

"You left!" she screamed. Her eyes flared with anger.

"I didn't know you were –"

"You didn't know. You didn't think. All those times you told me that you would take me from that place, and you gave up on everything. You gave upon me," Ruby interrupted. "Was this the plan all along, Hook? Did you just do this to hurt me?" Tears streamed down Ruby's face. Her heart felt like it was breaking all over again.

Killian touched her face, and she flinched away. "I would never, Red," he said. "I wanted to come for you."

"Wanted to and did are two very different things," she retorted, hands gripping her hips to keep from swinging at him.

"I would have, but –" The sound a flesh hitting flesh sounded on the quiet street. Killian's good hand immediately covered where her hand had just hit. He worked his jaw, stretching out his cheek. Ruby's eyes were still dark with anger, but it was lessened somewhat by her outburst. "Dammit, lass…."

She crossed her arms over her chest angrily. "Dammit is right, Hook. Now multiply that pain by a thousand and maybe you'll know what you did to me." Without another word, she walked back into the diner, leaving Killian out on the empty street without her.

It had become his pattern. He would stay on the Jolly Roger, but he would go into the diner every day just to see her. She would give him the same looks and he had memorized every single one. There was anger, contempt, abandonment, and sorrow in almost all those looks. But after sifting through all those looks, he saw a few that he really liked. There were still looks of love, desire, and affection hidden beneath her discontent.

Ruby bit her red painted lip every time her eyes met his without meaning to. Embarrassment would flash across her face in the form of a light blush before she would avert her eyes from the man she loved.

As much as she tried to ignore it, the feeling of his eyes on her was always there. In a way, it made her feel like she was just another one of his wenches from ages past. But it also had a way of making her feel the love that he had felt for her.

Another day came, and another attempt for her affection by Doctor Whale was being made. Ruby listened and waited on him, but rolled her eyes at every pick-up line he tried. She wasn't rude, nor was she empowering him to try.

"Come on, Ruby. One dinner?"

Ruby chuckled, tugging at the rolled up sleeve on her flannel. "I'm sorry, Whale, but I can't."

Killian stifled a laugh into the drink in his hand. Unfortunately, Whale heard him. The doctor stood, turning on the pirate at the bar. "Something funny, _pirate_?" he spat.

The captain turned around on the bar stool to see the blond man standing over him with Ruby standing by the table, debating on whether or not she should step in. "Ah, mate, I think you've lost the favor of this young lass." His blue eyes flickered to the brunette woman, and he winked light-heartedly. Ruby rolled her eyes, but could not contain the smile that graced her lips.

"And what would you know about it, Hook?"

"More than you'd think," he replied. He stood up from the stool in the least threatening manner that he could muster. "And that lass is a classy woman, and I doubt your off-handed, smutty comments are going to win her over."

The doctor scoffed. Just like everyone else in Storybrooke, Doctor Whale had the worst view of Captain Hook. "Like you could do any different. You're all talk about how to woo a woman, but I doubt you could get one to give you a second glance," he challenged.

Killian looked down, a smirk touching his face. His eyes looked back up through thick lashes at the man he was toe-to-toe with. "I'm telling you, mate, keep that attitude and no woman will go near you," he said with mirth seeping from every word. "Especially one as beautiful and classy as Ruby here, you've got to be better than that."

He saw the signs before Doctor Whale even started to move. Seconds later, Killian had Whale's arm twisted behind his back right after the doctor's fist flew. Ruby looked at the two men. "Alright, that's enough!" she yelled.

Killian looked over at the woman before turning back to Whale. "You're not willing to fight your lecherous nature to be kind to a lady, so you deserve what you get," the pirate whispered dangerously in the man's ear. He shoved the doctor slightly when he released him before going back to sitting at the bar.

Ruby stared at the back of the pirate. Her expression was one of admiration, not hatred anymore. She smiled to herself. He was proving his love for her again. Whale left mere moments later after spitting out insults and dropping his money on the table. Ruby picked up the money and moved behind the bar.

"You didn't have to do that, y'know. I'm a big girl, I can handle it," she said without her usual spite.

Killian gave his usual smirk. "I don't doubt that, love. Doesn't mean you should have to," he said with a wink. Ruby's cheeks flushed, and she looked down to avoid his eyes.

She breathed in deeply. "You told me something once… you told me about the two things you would die for," she said softly.

"Aye, love, I did. Revenge and love," he replied, tipping his drink slightly towards her before taking another sip.

"Would you die for me?" she asked. Ruby could hardly believe that the question had come out of her mouth. She had never asked such a deep question of the pirate since the curse.

The pirate just smirked. "To the ends of the earth, love. I actually quite fancy you from time to time… when you're not yelling at me, that is," he said with a smile. "I do love you, Ruby, and I will spend my life proving that to you. And, when you fall in love with me again, there will be no trickery, no games. It'll be because you want me."

Ruby wiped off the counter, smiling as she listened to the pirate talk. "You sound pretty sure of yourself, Killian," she said.

She hadn't realized what she had said, but Killian did. She didn't call him Hook for the first time since he had come to Storybrooke. She was one of the very limited number of people who called him Killian since he had adapted his new moniker centuries before. Ruby was special. "I am very sure of it," he said with a wink. "I do love a challenge."

Weeks later, Ruby found herself out for a walk under the crescent moon. The stars twinkled in the sky, and the light reflected up off the flowing water that made up the bay. She walked along, reaching the docks. The Jolly Roger was tied up beside the main dock with some lantern light faintly glowing from where Ruby remembered the captain's quarters to be.

Ruby walked up the gang plank until she was up on the main deck. Her hands ran along the familiar wood that she truly had missed. She had missed a lot that she refused to admit to. Her fingers gently touched the door to the captain's quarters before curving the long digits to knock on the door.

A noise of confusion passed through the door, followed by footsteps, and then the door opened, revealing Killian Jones. "Red," he said with a smirk, leaning against the doorframe.

"Killian," she replied, her eyes soft and affectionate. The anger and hatred had been washed out of her features. She actually looked sad.

"What's wrong, Red?" the pirate asked.

She breathed heavily. "I'm tired," she said softly. "I'm tired of trying to fight against myself…."

Killian tilted his head curiously. "What do you mean, love?"

The she-wolf sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. She hadn't thought she would have to explain it out loud. She dropped her head for a moment, letting her long hair shield her face from his intense gaze. "I mean that I'm tired of trying to tell myself that I don't love you. Yes, I'm mad at you. I have every right to be absolutely furious, but I can't help the way I feel about you," she explained heavily.

The pirate dared to reach his good hand to caress her cheek. "You do have every right to hate me, love. But I'm glad you don't."

Ruby's eyes sharpened as she looked up at him. "Don't think for a second I'm not pissed."

"I know you are."

"And if you turn into a lovesick puppy, I will kill you myself," she said harshly. One thing she had always loved about Killian was the fact that he was strong and didn't back down. If he lost that, he wouldn't be himself anymore.

The pirate smirked at her. "I wouldn't dare." A strong hand wrapped around her waist and yanked her into Killian's strong chest. Her hands flew to his biceps to steady herself. A chuckle came from his mouth. "I told you when you came for me it would be of your own free will," he reminded her.

The she wolf chuckled lightly. "That you did."

"And here you are," he said, raising an eyebrow. Ruby quickly stopped his mouth with a hard kiss, her fingernails digging into the back of his neck as her hands touched his tanned flesh. She was immediately reminded of the long nights they had spent together on this very same ship when he had said that he would take her away all those years ago. She couldn't get enough of the pirate before her.

Their passionate kiss ended with labored breath out of both of their lips. "I have missed you, Killian. More than you know."


End file.
